Red Kite

 

It has been a while since I last wrote a blog. My new Years resolution was to be all around getting out more, taking more pictures, and writing more blogs. Then the third lockdown came along and my resolution was blown apart. I couldn't even find any interesting insects in the garden to write about.

I usually take my daily exercise close to home but I have manged a few short trips into the countryside, carrying the camera to record obliging birds and a sandwich which I always eat on the move so it doesn't count as a picnic!

It has resulted in a slow start to the birding year but there have been a few good opportunities. Probably the best being this perched up Red Kite. I first saw it at a distance and took a couple of record shots then gradually moved closer taking pictures as I went, all the time expecting it to take flight.

Red Kite

There wasn't much cover around but then with raptors and Owls I have usually found it best to stay out in the open rather than try to creep up on them. You just have to take a zig-zag approach and take your time, stopping regularly and pretending to be a sheep. It watched me closely but did not seem concerned. I took around fifty shots as I approached. These last two being at around twenty metres where I was stopped by a barbed wire fence.

I was then backing off slowly, happily surfing the shots on the back of the camera, when the kite had the last laugh by making a low pass over my head whilst I was looking the wrong way. Probably just it's way of warning me off its territory and of making it clear who was in control.

Red Kite

A walk around Shoreham Fort and Harbour gave me this female Black Redstart in the boatyard but not sightings of the Purple Sandpipers that frequent the pier or of the Dartford Warbler that has been seen along the beach walk.

Black Redstart

A couple of weeks before Christmas I had been over to Marsh Farm at Sidlesham to look for the Richards Pipit. I did see it and I did get a picture but the bird was distant and there were frequent bursts of torrential rain,  so the pictures were poor.

Richard's Pipit

I went back in early January with the idea of getting a better picture and of adding it to the new year bird list but I was a day too late. It was seen the day before I went but has not been reported since. Still a walk over from Pagham and around the farm and Sidlesham area, gave a substantial boost to my new year list.

It is strange to recall that ten years ago Cattle Egrets were rare birds and I would travel miles in an attempt to see one. Now they are a common bird on the Selsey peninsular. This one amongst twenty plus feeding in one of the Marsh Farm fields.

Cattle Egret

Long-tailed Tit

Song Thrush

Stonechat

Also, whilst passing through Arundel I decided to stop off for a walk around Swanbourne Lake to look for the Mandarin Ducks. It was probably the riskiest walk I have taken all year. Arundel was packed with cars and people and there were groups feeding the ducks, walking and picnicking all around the lake. Fortunately the Mandarins prefer the more secluded areas.

There is no doubt, that the countryside and a few hours out (socially distanced) birding, can make all the difference during these difficult times.

Red Kites

Out for a walk along the downs today. Nearly left the camera at home but there is always that nagging thought that today would be the day you find that UK Mega. As it happens today wasn't the day but I am still glad I carried it.

We started off at the Chantry Hill car park and headed off towards the dewpond and scrub area. Always good for a few Linnets, Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings. Not today though, complete devastation, the gardeners had been at work again. I know that scrub needs cutting back and controlling but every single bit had been chopped down to ground level. No cover, no berries, no seed heads and very unlikely to have recovered by next spring, Why?

Area of scrub looking towards the dew pond and Chantry Hill Car Park

There was only one bird to be seen, a very forlorn looking Kestrel surveying her hunting area. She didn't even bother to fly away and I was able to approach to within about twenty feet - very unusual for a Kestrel.

Kestrel

There is usually some form of flying display on the north slopes of the downs. Mostly it is the Buzzards and Ravens but today they were nowhere to be seen. Instead we had Red Kites, eight in total giving an effortless display of their flying abilities.

 

Lots of other small birds about but no time to stop and take lots of pictures. Just managed to catch this juvenile Long-tailed Tit on the back of a small flock passing by.

Great weather for walking and for photography but not enough hours in the day to do both!

Short-eared Owl

We had set an ambitious programme of visits for today, in an attempt to fill a few of the gaps in our year lists. It got off to a good start when we picked up Hawfinches in the trees at the back of Yew Tree Cottage in West Dean Woods. They were very distant and did not give any picture opportunities but this is a bird that you are always pleased to see.

The next target was Woodcock and Ambersham Common is a place where we have often flushed them in the past. This usually comes as more of a shock to us than to the birds, as they suddenly burst into the air just a few feet in front of you.

However, today it was not going to happen, the place was full of horse boxes, four wheel drives, and yellow jacketed marshals. We got the definite impression that we were not wanted, they probably thought we looked like hunt saboteurs. For our part we were happy to move on and look for some peace and quiet elsewhere. Not an easy task when there is an "El Alamein" style soundtrack playing out all across Sussex as the landed gentry enjoy their weekend "sport".

Next stop was Lavington Common which proved to be mostly devoid of life other than a few Crows and a couple of dog walkers. The best we managed here were two Yellowhammers.

Yellowhammers

We stopped off at Burton Pond and Lord's Piece. Birdsong was more evident at these two but there was little to look at. Waltham Brooks usually saves the day but even here there was nothing much moving and nothing at all at the Sewage Works. By know I think we had seen more butterflies than birds, not bad for the end of November.

Our final destination was the Burgh to see the Short-eared Owls. The walk in gave us views of Grey Partridge, Corn Buntings, and the usual Buzzards and Red Kite, but unfortunately not the Merlin that we were told had been seen.

Grey Partridge

Red Kite

We had great views of at least six of the Short-eared Owls for about an hour before the sun went down. I was disappointed in that I only managed one decent picture. In bird photography you are always pushing the camera and the lens to the limits of their performance capabilities but I should have done better. Now I am just going to have to go back and do it all over again. Life is hard!

Dartford Warblers Revisited

I went to have another look at the Dartford Warblers today. Walking around the commons there were plenty of Stonechats visible but the Dartfords were a lot harder to find. It was possible to do a 360 degree scan and spot four or five Stonechat pairs sitting out on their territory but the Dartfords appeared to be covering a much larger area.

Having found a suitable spot I found the best way to see them was to sit quietly under a large gorse bush and wait for them to come to me. I still haven't got that perfect picture that I am looking for but it is getting closer. I just need the bird to slow down a bit, it moves a lot faster than my autofocus or my ability to do a manual focus.

Dartford Warbler

There did not appear to be much else about on the commons. I was hoping for a Woodlark but I could not see any sign of them. Everything that moved seemed to be a Stonechat.

Stonechat

I still haven't seen a Corn Bunting this year so in the afternoon I headed up to the Burgh. Their were good views of the usual Buzzards and Red Kites and I also flushed a few Grey Partridges but I could not find any of the usual small birds. Even the Yellowhammers were absent.

Red Kite

Glossy Ibis

Standing on the North Wall at Pagham you get accustomed to the Cormorants flying over, so I thought nothing of it as another dark coloured bird flew over my head. It was only when it started to circle that I realised the shape was all wrong, the wings were too long, then the bill came into view. No doubt now, it was a Glossy Ibis. It's no longer a rare bird in Sussex but it was a bit of excitement in a birding day that up to that point was looking a bit bland.

Glossy Ibis - brown rather than black

Probably a juvenile but still showing some greenish gloss.

When you see it in the air by itself it looks like a large bird, it's only when you see it on the ground that you realise how small it is. Especially alongside the cormorant that I had originally mistaken it for. In my defence I can only quote Collins - "distant head on silhouette like a Pygmy Cormorant"

A small bird for a wingspan of anything up to a metre in length

After about 15 minutes it flew off high and distant.  However, based on observation of previous birds, Dave predicted that it would return and sure enough it came back to exactly the same spot about an hour later. This time it only stayed a couple of minutes before flying off again. Some hope then, that it will set up in residence for a while.

Up to that point there had been little of interest. The tide was out and the birds with it. The  Godwits were finding the water level in the Breech Pool too high for feeding and there was a single Ruff that was too far away for a picture. The highlights to that point had been a Heron sitting out on the fence when we walked in and the resident feral White Geese that were making a rare trip out on the water.

Grey Heron

Resident Feral White Geese as much a part of the Breech Pool area as any wild bird.

We then decided to skip Church Norton (Two Ringtail Hen Harriers) the Arundel WWT (Spotted Crake) and Hayling Island (Semipalmated Plover refound) and headed up to the Burgh to see some raptors. Perhaps not our best ever decision making but at least we did get to see some close flybys from the Red Kites there.

A good days birding, even if we did miss a few opportunities.

Grasshopper Warbler

Today I thought I would have a look around some of the commons at the north of the patch. Last time I had visited, there was very little flying or singing, but perhaps with spring coming on I would have better luck and pick up a Dartford Warbler, Crossbills or some other rarity. No such luck. Having walked four of the commons and with quite a few kilometres under my belt I had very little to show for it.  Chaffinches, Crows, a Woodcock flushed and a few buzzards flying overhead but not even a Stonechat on the gorse. My best effort was this quickly grabbed shot of a Treecreeper as it disappeared from sight.

Treecreeper

My next stop was Pulborough Brooks to see if I could improve on my Nightingale shots. It was just after midday when I arrived so perhaps not the best time for viewing birds. There were a few singing but mostly from within dense bushes. A couple did make brief flights but none felt like posing for a picture. I can understand why, there were a lot of people standing around waiting for them to appear. It felt a bit like a twitch and I was keen to move on. I can't complain though, everyone is entitled to see the birds, it's just that we all feel that we would like to keep them for ourselves.

Fortunately I was saved by a call from Dave Potter to tell me that he had located a Grasshopper Warbler at Waltham Brooks.

Red Kite

 

A quick walk through the RSPB site, stopping only for a picture of a circling Red Kite, and a short drive got me to the brooks in time to get some pictures of the Grasshopper Warbler.

Grasshopper Warbler

and in full song

This was a singing male establishing his territory and far more colourful than previous birds I had seen. He looked wonderful in full song and people tell me how good the trill sounds but it is too high pitched for me. I see the bird open its mouth but there is no song - very sad.

As always the pictures could be better. This is the birds natural habitat but it would be nice to get it against a plain background.